Valve rotating device



Jan. 8, 1952 J. A. NEWTON 2,582,060

VALVE ROTATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1947 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 z/a/wv H. NEW/"0N Z/ ZQ, @M

Jan. 8, 1952 J. A. NEWTON 2,582,060

VALVE ROTATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1947 2, sHEETs--sHEET 2 F2 g l :JYZEZYZ UP Z/ fm w Patented Jan. 8, 1952 2,582,060 VALVE ROTATING nnvion John A. Newton, Painesville, Ohio, assignor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, .a

corporation of Ohio Application September 29, 1947, Serial No. 776,637

9 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for rotating valves in accord with the cyclical operation thereof and specifically deals with a reversible readily installed compact self-contained unit for rotating poppet valves.

While the invention will be hereinafter specifically described in connection with devices for rotating poppet valves, it should be understood that the devices of this invention are not limited to any particular usage since they are capable of imparting rotating movements to any rotatable member and especially spring loaded rotatable members.

In accordance with the present invention an assembly including a retainer cap carrying shiftable elements such as balls, rollers, or the like, and a resilient member which will deflect under increased load is placed between the valve springs of a spring pressed poppet valve and the surface on which they seat so that the'resilient member will deflect with increased load to transfer the spring load from a cap portion of the assembly to the shiftable elements, whereupon the load on the shiftable elements causes them toshift and produce relative rotation between a collar andzthe surface upon which the assembly is seated. The relative rotation of the collar causes the valve springs and the valve to rotate over'a predetermined angular increment so that the cyclical operations of the valve cause successive valve rotations. I

Further in accordance with the present invention the cap portion of the assembly is made to permit reversible operation by providing 'a plurality of dished grooves to receive the balls or other shiftable elements, each groove extend ing over a portion of an annular ring about the cap portion of the assembly and having a relatively deep central portion with-relatively shallow edge portions. Springs are inserted to bias the balls or other shiftable elements towards one end of their respective grooves to' cause the desired rotation when the load is shifted to them. To reverse the direction of rotation, it is merely necessary to shift the springs to bias the balls or other shiftable elements towards the opposite ends of their respective grooves.

Rotation of the poppet valves during operation of internal combustion engines and the like frees the valve seat and valve stem from carbon deposits and like deleterious substances and assures even wear of the valve seat and'valve head. It is generally desirable, however, to re tate the valve in accord with the ceiling of the valve springs and for this reason it is generally desirable to use a valve rotating device that may be operated in either direction.

It is accordingly an object of the present in-'- vention to provide a small compact self-con tained reversible valve rotating device.

A more specific object of the present inven- 'tion is to provide a self-contained reversible mechanism for insertion between the valve springs of a spring biased poppet valve and the surface upon which they seat to rotate the valve in accord with the cyclical operation thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-contained valve-rotating mechanism in which one set of parts may be'assenibled during manufacture to rotate the valve in either direction without the need of manufac turing right hand and left hand parts for the separate rotations.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to th'ose'skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which, by way of a preferred example, illustrate one embodiment of the invention. r

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view, with parts in elevation, of a poppet valve assembly equipped with one form of valve-rotating device according to this invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but illustrating the positions of the parts when the valve is in the opened position; I

Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary enlarged views of a portion of the assembly of Figures 1 and 2 and showing in greater detail the relative positions of the parts in Figures 1 and 2 respectively; w v

Figures 5 and 6 are top planvviews of the cap portion of the assemblywith the shiftable elements in the positions assumed under the conditions of Figures land 2,-respectively; and

Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentary cross sectional views taken along axes VIIVII and VIIIVIII, Figures 1 and 3 respectively.

As shown on the drawings: 7

In Figures 1 and 2, the reference numeral l0 designates an engine part such as, for example, a portion of the cylinder head of a radial type aircraft engine. The engine part In defines ,a combustion chamber C and a port P, such as an exhaust port. A seat ring H is secured in the mouth of the port P and has a beveled seating face Ha facing the combustion chamber C. A poppet valve l2 has a head H for closing the port P, this head having beveled seating 'face l2a coacting with the seat Ila of the ring H. The stem S of thevalve I2 is slidably mounted in a stem guide l3 carried by the engine part I 0. The stem guide i 3 projects from the port P through a wall of the engine part into a recess R in the engine part ID. A heavy valve spring l4 and a lighter valve spring I5 nested in spring 14 are bottomed on the valve rotating assembly indicated at l8.

The valve stem S has the conventional retainer lock grooves l2b therearound near the tip end thereof and these grooves coact with the heads Ha of the retainer lock H. The valve retainer I6 is locked to the valve stem and serves to'seat the valve springs l4 and l5.

The valve-rotating assembly I8 is composed of a cap l9 resting on the engine part Ill and which is prevented from rotation by the frictional engagements therewith under the downward'pressures exerted by the valve springs 14 and [5, a valve spring seating, =collar2ll acted entry the springs l4 and I5, a plurality of ball's 2l carried in dished grooves 24 in the cap 18, and :spring washers 22 between the cap and the spring collar arranged to deflect under increased spring loads such as those exerted when the valve is opened to transferthe spri-ng load from the cap 19 to the balls 24 therein. The transferred load causes the balls to roll down the dished grooves toward the centers thereof and "thereby rotates the washer '22 which, in turn, rotates the collar 20, the springs 11-4 and i5, and the valve 12.

The cap 19., showninplan'view in :Figure 5,, is m annular shape with .an inner peripheral shoulder 19b to beabutted by the-innerheripheral of thesprings l4 and I5 increases, as when the valve is opened.

The/cap 1-9 is shaped to form a plurality of dished grooves or raceways 24, each groove -occupying a segment :of anan-nular ring about the cap surface as is shown Figures-5 and -6. The

grooves are dished by. making them deeper at the center portions, 24a, Figure 57, than at the side or end portions, 24h, Figure Each-groove isginade substantially of uniform width in the direction radial to the axis of the-cap J3 and ofsuch size as to accommodate and guide the balls 2! located therein. While a total of six grooves and a corresponding number of balls are shown in the particular structure cf the figures,.-it will be understood that any number of grooves and balls may be used.

Each of the balls 2| is biased by a spring 26 toward one end of the groove .24 ;in whichit rests. These springs seat atone end against the remote end of the groove and at theother end against the corresponding hall. They are fixed relative to the grooves so that when the annular ring formed by the grooves is traversed, all of the balls are biased in a common angular direction relative to the direction of traverse. Thus the ballsal-l rotate in a common angular direction relative 'to the cap as thebiasiorces of the springs are overcome and tend torollin a'common angular direction under the action of .the springs.'

The valve spring seat collar has .a central imderstood that when the poppet valve head is eseatedon the seat ring ll, so that the valve is in closed position, the load imposed on the valve rotating assembly i8 by the springs it and i5 is insufiicient to :bow or deflect the washer22 over the balls 2 to take the major portion of the load off .of the shoulder l9b of the cap Hi. In this position the spring washers 22 transfer the load of the springs l4 and i5 from the valve spring seat collar 20 directly to the cap i9 and the coiled springs 26 urge the balls 2-! to shallow end portions of each of the grooves 13d in a common angular direction until they snugly contact the spring washer.

The disposition of the various elements of the assembly when the valve I2 is .in seated position is shown clearly in the views of Figures 1, 3, 5, and 7 all of which relate to this condition. From the enlarged view of Figure .3, for example, it will be evident that thespring washer 22 is substantially conical in shape in this condition and that the balls 21 rest against the under surface thereof under a relatively slight biasing force associated with the action of the biasing .springsQZE. In this condition thespring 2,2 is spacedJfroin the bottom surface of the grooves in the cap 19 by a rela tively great distance as is shown in the cross sectional view of Figure 7 and the balls 21 are thereby forced relatively close to the ends of their respective grooves before being stopped by the wedge action of the bottom of the grooves 24 against the opposed surface of the spring washer 22. A c

When the poppet valve 12 .is raised off .of its 7 seat to open the ,port 1?, the valve springs 14 and iii are compressed and the load on the spring washer or washers 22 isincreased beyond the flexing point .of the washer. The washer then bows or deflects radially to .bear heavily .on the balls 2.| and the inner peripheral portion .of the washer only lightly engages the shoulder vHlb'of the retainer cap 19. Themain load is thus trans ferred to the balls .21. When thespring load is transferred to the balls, they roll down ,into the deeper portions 24a of the rooves 24. 7 Since the washer 22 is held against rotation with respect to collar ;20 .by the frictional forces thereagainst, the washer .22, collar 20, valvesprings .M and i5, and the valve 12 are all rotated relative to the engine par-t Inland-retainer 1-9. V

The disposition of the various elements in the assembly when the valve J2 is depressed -.to the open position r-are shown clearly in Figures 2, 34,6, and 8. .From the enlarged cross sectional view 'of Figure .4, it will .be evident that when the .cap .218 is -.depressed thereby flexing washer 22, the .balls 2| intercept the (normal surface assumed-by :the washer and thus take up .load from .the inner peripheral surface .of cap 1.9. The washer .22 there upon deviates from this .normal ,path and ,assumes the relatively bowed shape shown in the figure. When the spring -.22 assumes .the shape shown in Figure .4, the surface thereof opposite the bottoms of the grooves L24 isrelatively close thereto. This resultsgfrom the fact that .the pres:

sure of the spring washer 22 bearing against the .balls 2| causes them to roll in opposition to the biasing action of the springs'26 and ride towards the center of the grooves 24 as is shown in Figure 8. This rolling action causes the washer 22 to rotate relative to the cap [9 and thus causes 'the entire assembly to rotate as described above.

The provision of dished shaped grooves 24 in the cap 19 permits the apparatus to be quickly converted to rotate the valve l2 in either direction as the valve is depressed in accordance with the cyclical operation of the engine. To accomplish this, it is merely necessary tov shift the springs 26 to the opposite side of eachball so that in the valve closed positions of Figures 1, 3, '5, and 7, the balls 2! are all shifted to the opposite sides of each groove 24. Subsequent pressure against the collar 20 associated with opening of the valve will then cause the balls to roll in the direction of the center of each of .the grooves,

which direction corresponds to rotation of the spring washer 22, the collar 20, springs l4 and I5 and the valve 12, in the opposite direction.

It should be understood from the above dcscriptions that this invention provides a com pact, self-contained device for causing relative rotation of members upon being subjected to increased loads sufficient to deflect a resilient mem ber which transfers the increased loads to shiftable elements arranged so that the thus transferred load thereon causes them rotatably to drive another part and which may be readily converted to accomplish rotation infeither direc tion. h

Alternatively, the valve rotating assemblies of this invention may be manufactured in self contained units not intended to be reversed in the field, in which case the same parts are used on all valves and economies of large scale production are achieved even though subsequent assemblies are made to form two separate types of mecha nisms, one for rotation in each direction.

A valve rotating device having some features of similarity with the present reversible valve rotating device is described and claimed in the Ralston Patent 2,397,502 issued April 2, 1946, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of structure may be varied througha wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A reversible valve rotating device to rotatably drive a spring loaded poppet valve in response to increased loads resulting each time the valve is lifted off of its seat comprising a first part and a second part, said first part adapted to be connected to said poppet valve for c0' rotation therewith, said second part adapted to be held against rotation, a defiectable spring member to normally engage both of said parts, said second part having inclined raceways circumferentially disposed therein, each of said raceways having a relatively deep central portion and inclined portions extending symmetrically therefrom, a shiftable element arranged to ride on one of said inclined portions of each of said raceways, and spring means acting on said shiftable elements to urge the shiftable elements in one direction against the deflectable spring member, said deflectable spring member arranged to transfer the normal valve spring load from said second part to said. first part, said deflectable spring member being bowed under increased load whereupon the shiftable elements will transfer the increased load between said first and second part and said shiftable elements will be forced into the deeper parts of the inclined raceways to rotatably drive said first part and said valve, said spring means and said shiftable elements being reversibly disposable to said raceways and operable in the other direction to reverse the operation of said device.

2. A reversible valve rotating device for spring loaded poppet valve adapted to drive rotatively a poppet valve each time it is lifted off of its seat comprisinga-first part and a second part, said first part adapted to be connected to said poppetva'lve for co-rotation therewith, said second part adapted to be-retained against rotation. a defiectable springmember normally engaging both of said parts to transmit normal valve spring loading between said first and second part, said second part having a plurality of circum- .ferentially arranged recesses each having a relatively deep central portion with inclined raceways extending away therefrom, a ball in each recess arranged to-ride on one of said inclined raceways, springmeans acting on said balls to urge the same in one direction against said defiectable spring memben said deflectable spring member arranged to be bowed over said balls under increased valve spring loading, whereupon the balls will be forced into the deeper parts of the recesses on the inclined raceways to rotatably drive said first part and said valve, said spring means and said balls being reversibly disposable in said recesses and operable in the other direction to reverse the operations of said device.

3. A reversible valve rotating device for a poppet valve comprising a spring seat member arranged to be co-rotatablewith said valve, 'a nonrotatable part aclj'acentsaid seat 'mem-berand adapted to be seated on an engine part defining a seat for said valve, said part having a plurality of grooves forming an annulus in the surface facing said seat member; each of said grooves defining a substantially apexed raceway with a relatively deep central apex, shiftable elements disposed in said grooves, and spring seated against each ofsaidshiftable elements and an edge of the corresponding groove to bias said shiftable element in a-common angular direction relative to the center of said annulus and beyond the central apex of each groove, and a delectable spring washer connecting said seat and said stationary part when said valve is closed for moving said shiftable elements toward said central apex of each corresponding groove and to drive said member whenever said poppet valve is opened.

4. In combination with a stemmed poppet valve, a part slidably mounting the stem of said valve, and a coil spring secured on. said valve stem to move the valve to the closed position, a reversible valve rotating device interposed between said valve and said part to receive the compressive forces of said spring, said device comprising a fixed member having a plurality of raceways forming an annulus about said stem, each of said raceways having a relatively deep central portion, balls in said raceways, springs urging said balls into the ends of said raceways in a common angular direction relative to the center of said ring, and a spring washer having one peripheral portion disposed to receive the said spring loads and another peripheral portion bottomed on said 7 member to oppose said toads, said washer: bein arranged to engage said balls at an intermediate peripheral portion under increased valve spring loads for urging :sai'd balls into the deeper -portions of said raceway thereby rotating said valve relative to said fixed member. I

5. In combination with a stemmed poppet valve, :a part slidably mountin the stem of said valve and having a seat portion about said stem, and a :coil spring secured on said valve stem to move said valve to the closed position-e reversible valve rotating device interposed between said spring and said seat portion of :said part to receive the compressive forces of said spring, :said device comprising .a fixed member resting ens-aid seat portion and surrounding said stem and havin'g a plurality of raceways forming an annulus about the surface thereof, reach of said raceways having a relatively-deep central portion, balls in said raceways, springs urging :said balls into the ends ofrsaid .racewaysxin a common angular direction relative to the center of said annulus, and a sprin washer having an outer peripheral portion disposed to receive said :spring loads and an inner peripheral portion bottomed on said member to Oppose said loads, said washer being arranged to be deflected under increased valve spring loads for urging said :balls into the :deeper portions of said raceways thereby rotating :said valve relative to said :part.

- 6. A cap 'for use in a reversible device of the type wherein two members subject to increased loads are :rotated relative to each other during said increased loads by transferring the :load to shiftable this, :said :cap comprising adisk hav ing a plurality of grooves, each of said grooves defining a substantially apexed raceway with a relatively deep central :apex to accommodate spring biased balls which may be selectively arranged in each of said raceways to shift towards said-apex from either side thereof under increased pressure loads for rotating said members in a se iecte'dpredetermined direction relative to one another. 7

7. -A cap for use in a reversible device of the type wherein two members subject to increased loads are rotated relative to eachother during said increased loads by transferring the load to shiftable balls, said cap comprising a disk having a plurality of grooves disposed to form an annulus, each of -said grooves defining a'substa-ntially apexed raceway with a relatively deep central apex to accommodate spring biased balls which may 'be selectiuely arranged in each of said raceways to shift towards said apex from either side thereof under increased pressure loads for rotating said members in a selected predetermined direction relative to one another.

8.'A cap for use with a reversible valve rotating device wherein a spring washer deflects under the increasing loads incident to opening said valve to transfer the load to shiftable balls and rotate :said valve relative to the mounting pa-rt therefor, said cap comprising .a disk having ;a plur-a'lity' of grooves disposed to form an' annulus, 7

each of .said grooves having a relatively deep central portion, said grooves adapted to accommodate spring biased balls which support said washer during said increasing loads and shift from the end portions ofsaid grooves toward said central portion to rotate said members relative to each other, said cap'further having a shoulder to support said washer whenrsaid increased loads are not exerted.

9. A cap for use with .a reversible poppet valve rotating device wherein a spring washer deflects under the increasing loads incident to opening said valve to transfer the load to shit-table, balls and rotate said valve relative to the mounting .part therefor, said cap comprising a disk having a central opening freely .to receive the stem of said valve and having --a plurality of grooves-disposed to form an annulus, each of said grooves defining a substantially :apexed raceway with .a relatively deep central apex to accommodate spring biased balls which may be respectively-arranged in each of said raceways to shift towards .said apex from either :side thereof underincreased pressure loads for rotatin said members in a selected predetermined direction relative to one another, :said cap further having an inner shoulder to support the inner periphery of said washer when said increased loads are not exerted.

' JOHN A. NEWTON;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:- V f "UNITED STATES PATENTS Ralston Apr. 2, 1946 

